Dental drill spray



Jan. `18, 1949. H. R. MoRRow 2,459,573

DENTAL DRILL SPRAY Filed Nov. 25, 194e INVENToR. @2355/ j? /Yoffoza Patented Jan. 18%1949 l lD` ES PATENT QF y 1 t DENTAL DRILL snaar HarryfRfMorrcw, Chicagor Ill. ApplioationwNovember 25, 1946i Srial1No.-712',0B8.

2.0mm. (ci. 3ra-2er i This invention relatesto improvements l in 1deintal-1 drill sprays of thegeneral class which are adapted` to be attached; to the i handr piece ofA a dental drilling apparatus;

e principalioblject of theinventionlis tov providefanlimproved-spray fdeviee `of 'the above l characierl which' will" function with maximum ef-A eiency to dissipate the heat generated during the drilling operationJ and" also flush the saliva and debris i from the cavity lor surface -being treated, tothe end thatrthe' patient .igreli'eved 4from `pain andrdiscomf-ortrdueto thegeneration of heatdiiring the drilling'and1grindingioperations, andthe dental workiisvspeededup bothbyfthe increased eilciency'duewto'the lelanngf effect of the spray on the drill andibyzavoidingthe-'frequent pauses heretofore required `to permitfcooling ofthe tooth, the `relaxii'ig of' the,psychologicaltension of the patient caused byfdiscomiort, andthe elimination of frequent stoppingformouth rinselandremoval oilaccumulatedisaliva.

Another `oti'j ect of "the: invention i is vto providea simplified :spray device, of 'the` abovef general class, which ccanzzbereadily 'anda conveniently 4applied to the hand piecefof a dental drillingapparatusat a location l whereA it :will not `interfere. `with the drill locking means, whereby different drillst r11-other cutting. tools may readily be insertedf and removed: from: the: hand piece without.: disturbing the ,position L offtlile spray` device.;

Armorespecifica objectloftheinvention includes, for use witharghttangle drill; a ,spray'device in the iorm'oi a=resilient1olip adapted i to be `removably applied-:tothe under surface ofthe Ldrill receiving` chuck` or'head i andv comprises a portion for partiallyt ori'wholly encirclingfthe hub surrounding the drill receiving opening of the. chuckf or headlsoo asV to: prevent; movement of the clip lengthwise-of said chuck: andfis `provided with resilient portionsnwhich cooperate withlaterally bulged side i surfaces of; the drill receiving chuck ta firmly clamp .the sprayrclip thereto.

Ainother specific -object\is. toprovide an immoved :spray clip with a spray nozzle which is so formedithatf, it:may be: adjusted `bythe dentist to compensa-tevionvariationsin the size or shapevof the cuttingntoolbeing usedso thatfthe'spray may be accurately directed into the-cavity -or' onto the surface `being treat'edand thereby -ush the saliva and: debrisltherefrom, whereby the dentist will haveV a. clear` viewfoi the-progressA of" the r work andwhereby the debrisv isiflushedrfrom the ycut- ,tingl surface: off the drillirr a .manner to increase its eiciency and: to; redur-:eA `thestimef. required @thrilling-operationele, i

A` further object isnto. provide etremovable spray dev-ice rin. which thenozzleportion thereof aisgrelatively long andfis positioned-at aclocationftoiforce the saliva` and the:` debrsfrom the drillinggfand grinding `operations toward the back ofthefra'l cavityarrd away'fromzthemou-tl'r open-lng, whereby the patient is relieved ifromithe .discpmiomtsfinf cidentl to the flow 'oei 'saliva' and spray li'quidriirom his mouth and: thereby reduces.; themumberfof moutlririnsing operations duringfthadrill'ingqoia tooth; t

According: to4 the@ presentA inventionf the. spray is in the `fornaci an atomized,liquidiand'airandis under. the control ofl the patient: inythfam the patient4r is required-vte :operate :.anaair valve `for der lvering; air under-z pressureeto'i al ,liquid i atomizer. This participatiorriby the patient nithefoperatio-n performed oni his .tooth `has i a benecial psychologicaleffecton thepatientf inthat` he realizes thathe -hascontroliorthe v oper-'ation of l'the spray and can therebyeeliminate the discomfort fduewto the'generationof heat.'

'Ihe --spray may'. be composedV of' water-oriany suitable antiseptic and air. Thefjetortspray, being: in `-4the form of fan -atomized Eliquid JIand 'i-airlunder pressure, isdeliveredonitothe tooth-withsul' i'lci-ent forceto remove-the salivaancltlieV particles cut from thetoothheing treatedand thereby gives the dentist a clear view oi"the-progress of the work.

The spray-devicc'is-so formed' that itM does not materiallyincrease" the size ofthe drilling and grinding apparatusand can beV readily removed for sterilizing treatmentvv and-maybe readily conh nected anddisconnected from'theatomizer tube when it is" necessary or desirableto change-1 the drill `receiving chuck inl the hand piece:

The invention' is illustratedincertain"preferred embodiments in the actompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a View inelevationof the hand piece `of a dental drilling apparatus together with-:1n apparatus including a spr-ay devlceandla patient controlled atomizer i for delivering a spray" of atomized liquidV to the-cutting surface of the drill.

Fig. 2lis an enlargedview ofthe' drill 'receiving chuok whichformsra part ofthe hand piec'ershown in Fig. 1 andillustrating my `improved;spraydevice applied thereto.

Fig. 31is a sectional'view` taken on' line 3'-3`off Fig. 2, looking inthedirection indicate-d bythe arrows.

Fig. 4 isa top View of thespray'device removed from the chuck` ofthedrilling*l apparatus;

Fig.y 5 `is'- a `fragmei-itarywside view' inielevation-of 3 a different form of hand piece attachment and illustrating a modified form of spray device, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The dental engine for operating the drill device herein shown may be of any desired construction. In the drawing the reference numeral I indicates va ilexible arm, of said dental engine, provided lwithth'e `usual pulleys" II and I2 for guiding a belt I3. The hand piece includes a portion I4 fixed to the flexible shaft structure and a removable end piece I5. The end piece I 5 is secured to the portion I4 in the usual manner by tightening a handscrew I6. The removable end portion I5 of the structures shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is of a form whereby the drilling tool l1 is fitted into a drill receiving chuck so as to extend shown in Fig. 3, to iit the curved lower surface of the drill receiving chuck of the removable portion I5. The body portion of the clip abuts at I9a against a hub portion of the drill receiving chuck and is formed with a plurality of resilient tangs 2l, 22, .23 and 24 which are adapted f to t over the laterally bulged side surfaces of the said chuck 20. The lower portion of the chuck 20 is preferably slightly larger than the upper portion so as to form laterally bulged side surfaces which incline inwardly toward the top of the chuck. The ends of the tangs, therefore, fit over the said bulge and engage the inclined portions of the side ofthe chuck so as to resiliently lock the spray device on the head.f A forward tang 26 is formed-to encircle the hub portion 21 which extends around `the drill receiving opening of the chuck 20 so as to prevent any substantial movement` of the spray device lengthwise of the hand piece.

A metal conduit 28 is secured to the removable clip, preferably to the tang 22, but is free of the other tangs so as not to interfere with the flexibility thereof and the resilient clamping engagement thereof on the bulged side faces of the drill chuck. By securing the conduit 28 to the tang 22, the other end of the conduit may be formed into a spiral extending around the end of the drill chuck 29 so that the discharge end or nozzle 29 of the conduit 28 can be adjusted by application of ngertip pressure thereto after the clip is applied to the head. In this way the nozzle 29 may be positioned to accurately direct the spray or jet of atomized liquid onto the cutting surface 30 of the drill without removing the spray device from its applied position. The conv,duit portion 28 of the said spray nozzle preferably extends a substantial distance along the portion I5 of the hand piece. If desired a fluid delivery hose 30 may be connected directly to the metal conduit 23, in which event the length of the conduit 28 is sufficient to prevent the hose 3l] from entering the mouth of the patient and thereby simplifies the matter of sterilizingvthe instruments. However, for the purpose of con- -venience inconnecting and disconnecting the spray conduit 28 to a source of spray fluid, the receiving end of conduit 28 is provided with a rubber sleeve 3| adapted to receive the delivery end 32 of a second nozzle device 33. The last mentioned nozzle is secured to a resilient clip 34 which embraces the hand piece I4 and is slidable lengthwise thereof, so that the end 32 may be inserted into and removed from the rubber sleeve 3| I he secondwnozzle is yformed with a small discharge opening 35 which is substantially ,the same as the opening 29a`of the nozzle 21. Consequently the second nozzle can be utilized to deliver an atomized spray against a tooth being treated'when the dental cutting tool extrudes `5 ofthe drawing. The delivery end of the nozzle 33 is, thereforegvbent at an angle as shown in Fig. 5 to direct the atomized spray in the desired direction.

The atomized liquid spray is controlled by the patient.. For this purpose, air under pressure is delivered to a valve casingf36 adapted, to-be held. in the hand of the patient. By depressing-the plunger 3'| the Valve will open to direct a jet of air through the conduit 38. The said conduit is connected to an atomizer 39. of the inspirating type formed in the closure cap 40 of a liquid container. A jet of airis directed across the upper end of inspirating tube 4I which extends downwardly into the liquid body within the container. An air vent 42 maintains atmospheric pressure within the vessel above the liquid body. The inspirating action of the air from the air nozzle 43 withdraws a portion of liquid therefrom and delivers it through the flexible hose 30 to the spray device. The liquid as drawn from the vessel 44 is atomized at the upper end of tube 4I. A portion of the liquid is probably carried in suspension through the hose 30 to the spray device, but I have found that the size of the opening at the discharge end of the spray device is important for insuring a spray of finely atomized liquidl ,and air. The discharge .ends 29a and 35 of both sprays,` when used individually or conjointlyare formed with openings of small diameter so as to insure the desired atomization of the liquid.`

The fact that the patient has control of the delivery of the vatomized jet of liquid makes it possible for him to increase or diminish the flow of liquid as may be required, to dissipate the heat generated during the drilling operation. However, the dentist can interrupt the'ow of the atomized spray whenever he finds `it is desirable by simply pressing the flexible tube 3D against the hand piece so as to restrict or stop the flow from the spray.

Referring again Vto the modified embodiment shown in'Figs. 5 and 6: The removable head portion ofthis embodiment is designated I5a` and is formed to receive a cutting orgrinding tool in its outer end, the shank of the tool extending longitudinally of the head I5a instead of at right angles as shown in the previously described embodiment. In this modified embodiment of invention thesprayl nozzle 33 is used alone to deliver an atomized spray of liquid and air onto a tooth being treated. This clip member 34 carries the nozzle33 and may be rotated about the cylindrical "head portion I5'so as to change its position relative to the hand piece and thereby properly direct the atomized spray from nozzle 33 onto the surface being treated when the dentist is working on an upper or lower tooth. The portion I4 of this embodiment and the spray nozzle 33 and clip 34 are the same as the corresponding elements shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of previously described embodiment.

I claim:

1. In combination with the hand piece of a dental drilling apparatus, the end portion of which includes a tool retaining chuck formed with outwardly bulging side walls and having a circular boss on the under side which surrounds a drill receiving opening, of a spray device for removable attachment to the hand piece including a resilient clip having a portion arranged concentric with and engaging said boss to prevent Inovement of the clip lengthwise of the hand piece, and resilient tangs engaging over the said outwardly bulged side walls.

2. In combination with the hand piece of a dental drilling apparatus, the end portion of which includes a tool retaining chuck formed with outwardly bulging .side walls and having a circular boss on the under side which surrounds a drill receiving opening, of a spray device for removable attachment to the hand piece including a resilient clip having a portion arranged concentric with and engaging said boss to prevent movement of the clip lengthwise of the hand piece, resilient tangs engaging over said outwardly bulging side walls, and a fluid discharge duct secured to the clip and extending in a spiral around the end of the hand piece and terminating at a location beneath the hand piece so as to direct the discharged spray against the tooth being treated and in a direction toward the back of the oral cavity so as to prevent discharge of liquid from the mouth of a patient whose tooth is being treated.

HARRY R. MORROW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordl in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 718,561 Basford Jan. 13, 1903 1,506,328 Pieper Aug. 26, 1924 2,369,880 Bailenson Feb. 20, 1945 OTHER REFERENCES Pamphlet of U-Grip Co., 435 Fulton St., Brooklyn, N. Y. Vision-Aire Chip Blower (1936) 

